The Cat Owner's Problem Solver: How to Manage Common Behavior Problems by Thinking Like Your Cat

by Margaret H. Bonham

The Cat Owner's Problem Solver is an in-depth cat psychology manual that explains why cats do what they do and how their natural instincts are at the root of what we think of as "problem behaviors." The book provides countless ways to manage and modify feline behavior, excessive meowing, digging, and many others. It also teaches how to prevent these problems before they occur by recognizing and addressing their potential causses, as well as how to find an animal behviorist for when a behavior issue is too much for an owner to handle alone. The Cat Owner's Problem Sover is an ideal manual both for cat owners looking to address existing behavior problems and for those with new cats who want to prevent any issues in the future.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

See M.H. Bonham

Reviews

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, short summary of cat 'problems' - what you encounter when you have successfully confined a wild animal within your home and made her reliant upon you. The best thing about this book is that it's written about house cats and the author is clear that she recommends confining the beast for her own good. Every other book I've found talks about walk-in-and-out cats using cat-flaps. Three stars, going on four.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"By understanding what makes your cat tick, you can solve most common behavior problems and benefit from a closer relationship with your feline companion.

"Written by award-winning pet expert Maggie Bonham, this in-depth manual helps you to understand why cats do what they do and how their natural instincts are at the root of those pesky and often frustrating bad habits they seem to have. Whether you have lived with cats for years or have just added one to your family, Good Kitty! will provide simple, step-by-step solutions to manage and modify recurring feline behavior issues, including:
*scratching
*inappropriate elimination and marking
*chewing and digging
*aggressive behavior
*excessive meowing
*nighttime hyperactivity
*interfeline fighting
*travel phobia

"You will also learn how to prevent problems before they start by correcting potential causes of undesirable behavior such as improper environment, lack of stimulation, or an underlying medical condition. Along with countless tried-and-true tips, the book will teach you how to create a nurturing, cat-friendly home; how to select appropriate training alternatives; and how to find a pet behaviorist. By following the author's careful advice, even the most challenging car can be trained to become a model family member."
~~back cover

I suppose I'm lucky -- neither of my cats exhibit any of the behaviors Ms. Bonham deals with. My male does talk excessively, but he's part Maine Coon and they're talkers and trillers, so nothing to be done there. He and the female do have short, sharp fights, but it's a dominance thing: when they first came, she beat him all hollow; now he's got the upper hand & they only fight when he's saying "leave me alone."

So the book didn't seem very relevant to me.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough book to review. Or rather, maybe I'm just not ready to review it. I read this whole book in one sitting last night and have only just begun trying to implement the solutions. Also, I've been reading about cat behavior for years and I started reading another cat behavior book last night as well, so it will be hard for me to ever distinguish which book provided the key solution to my cat dilemmas. As it is, I'll be keeping this around for at least a few weeks and I reserve the right to change my rating or review!

I can say that this book is written at an elementary school level as far as language goes and is full of adorable photos. This gives the (perhaps false) impression that the content is also elementary, superficial or shallow. Some problem behaviors are given quite a lot to discussion while others are dismissed with simplistic solutions. Basically it doesn't feel like a serious read. I have serious problems and I need advice from someone taking them seriously! "Look at the cute kitty", doesn't feel serious. Maybe this advice is perfect and will help me, I don't know yet. I'm going to keep trying.

[Terri Palermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that would have been perfect if I actually planned to get a cat...all my babies have come into my life unexpectedly. Even for a seasoned cat owner, this was a great read with lots of useful advice.